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Recording artist promotes self-esteem through music

February 26, 2019

Stephanie Owens (’13) always knew that music was her calling.

“My first microphone wasn’t a hairbrush; it was an old turkey baster. I would walk around the house just singing and performing for my parents,” she said.
Owens began performing publicly at a young age. “I was kind of starting to get recognized even though I was pretty young. I grew very anxious during this time and wanted to control everything, and it was then that I developed an eating disorder.”

In the midst of that personal struggle, Owens said she completely surrendered to Christ. “I was saved at the age of 5, but it wasn’t really until my teenage years that I started to understand that my identity isn’t in how I perform or how I look, but in who He says I am.”

Owens studied worship at Liberty, a place where she said she felt safe to grow in Christ. She said the school taught her to be a light, especially in the music industry. “The mission statement of the school is ‘Training Champions for Christ,’ and that is very true. Liberty really helped me shape my worldview.”

Owens moved to Nashville after graduation.

“I decided that if I was really going to make an impact as an artist, then I was going to do so using the story He gave me,” she said.

Last May, Owens released a single on her self-titled debut EP titled, “Little Girl In the Mirror,” which addresses the struggle young women face with body image standards in pop culture.

“The song is about wishing you could go back to that carefree version of yourself before the world started telling you who you were supposed to be,” she said.

In October, Owens performed the song on TBN’s “Huckabee” show and joined Dr. Linda Mintle, chair of Behavioral Health and director of Strategic Development for Clinical Affairs at Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine, in a discussion on negative body image and eating disorders.

“Talking with Gov. (Mike) Huckabee was great. The house band learned my song and accompanied me, and they were just awesome. Being able to share my story and perform on the show was just surreal.”

Owens continues to expand her platform by speaking at school assemblies and working with the National Eating Disorders Association to offer more resources (visit StephOwensMusic.com).

“I want girls and women to know that it’s OK to not be OK. It’s a good thing to ask for help, because when you receive it, then you can start to inspire others with your story.”


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